Safe Destination Kerry

Kerry County Council have announced two new courses which are aimed at positioning Kerry as an International Leader in terms of best practice with a commitment to Visitor Safety, Hygiene and Cleanliness. This work is being done collaboratively with the Kerry ETB, NEWKD, IT Tralee, SKDP, IRD Dulhalllow, Udaras Na Gaeltachta, PPN along with both the Kerry Chambers Network and Kerry Tourism Industry Forum both of whom Listowel Business & Community Alliance is a member of.

A series of new training courses and initiatives have been devised and rolled out by Kerry County Council under the Safe Destination Kerry banner. The training of staff in the Kerry hotel sector has already commenced and two new specialised courses are now being offered to staff in our visitor attraction and activities sectors. These courses have been prepared by the Kerry Education and Training Board and will be delivered free of charge by their business support unit over the coming weeks.

Course #1 – Managing Compliance for COVID-19 (4 hours) is specifically for Managerial & Supervisory staff or COVID-19 designated officer and

Course #2 – Principles of Hygiene and the use of PPE (2 hours) is designed for all staff.

Attractions and activity providers whose staff complete both courses will qualify for the Safe Destination Badge from Kerry County Council.    If you would like to participate in the courses please click on this link below for further details and complete the expression of interest form as soon as possible:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/c3af90d7354e43c4a2c5ff2a5bb081ba

(Click or copy & paste into your web browser)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Tracey Grimes Hair & Extensions who was announced as the 2^nd of our winners to receive a full page advert in The Advertiser. Listowel Business and Community Alliance is delighted to host this competition kindly sponsored by Garvey’s Super Valu Listowel aimed at supporting local businesses as Listowel reopens. The competition is open to all businesses who have been funding members of the Listowel Business and Community Alliance during the past twelve months. Winner for week 2 will be chosen next Tuesday at Tracey Grimes Hair & Extensions. Thank you to last week’s winner Maloney’s Laundrette & Dry Cleaners for performing the honours this week.

Listowel Voucher    

The Listowel Voucher is available to purchase Monday to Friday at Pierse Fitzgibbon and is a fantastic way of giving while shopping local and supporting local jobs.

Take part in the Tourism Recovery Taskforce Consultation

The Tourism Recovery Taskforce (TRT) which was established by Ministers Shane Ross and Brendan Griffin on 20^th May 2020, has launched a consultation process to help inform its work in drawing up a recovery plan for the tourism and hospitality industry. The consultation process is an opportunity for the Taskforce to hear directly from employers and employees across the tourism industry. Please find a link to the TRT consultation survey below – we invite you to complete it before the consultation process closes on Sunday 28^th June. By taking part in the survey those working in the tourism sector will have the opportunity to contribute as the Taskforce draws up its Recovery Plan.

The purpose of the Taskforce is to prepare a Tourism Recovery Plan for submission to the ministers which will include a set of recommendations on how best the Irish tourism sector can adapt and recover in the changed tourism environment as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. The plan will identify priority aims, key enablers and market opportunities for the sector for the period 2020-2023. The consultation survey will be open for responses until June 28^th. To find out more and take part in the consultation process, by clicking here: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/3fcba-tourism-recovery/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/tourismrecoverytaskforce/&_cldee=aW5mb0BsaXN0b3dlbGFsbGlhbmNlLmll&recipientid=contact-c8db5211943bea11811e005056a72ee4-dfb4d12994a8480facef08e98fed0089&esid=c069ae06-83b4-ea11-8128-005056a72ee4

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Online Trading Voucher for Small Businesses  

There is a Grant available called the Trading Online Voucher (details below) now the first step in the process is to attend a Trading Online Voucher Information Webinar. Our next Webinar is scheduled for Friday 10^th July link here – https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kerry/Training-Events/ONLINE-BOOKINGS/Trading-Online-Voucher-Webinar-Friday-10th-July-2020.html Once we get the attendance report for the Webinar we will send the attendee a  link to apply for the voucher online. There is huge demand for this scheme at present so if there are people interested you might tell them to book the Webinar ASAP as they are booking up very fast.

 What is a Trading Online Voucher?

The voucher is a financial incentive to small businesses to develop or enhance their ability to trade online. Under the scheme a qualifying business may apply for funding to a maximum value of €2,500 or 90% of eligible expenditure (exclusive of VAT), whichever is the lesser. Following approval of their application, a successful applicant can engage suppliers and upon completion of the work, submit a request for payment to the LEO in line with the terms and conditions of their voucher. Information seminars will be made available online or by conference call to prospective applicants to support them in their application process and it will be a condition of applying for the vouchers that applicants
participate in one of these seminars. At each seminar attendees will be informed of the purpose of the scheme and how best to use and get value from the application of the voucher. The application process for the vouchers will be a competitive process.

What are the eligibility criteria?

The vouchers are targeted at businesses with the following profile:

1. Limited or no e-commerce presence
2. 10 or less employees
3. Turnover less than €2m
4. Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 months
5. Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application i.e. LEOs cannot accept applications from businesses located outside their jurisdiction.  Note that businesses within the Gaeltacht should contact Údarás Na Gaeltachta as Údarás for their range of supports and not apply for this scheme via the LEO
6. Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher
7. Applicant business must provide clear proof of trading for a minimum of 6 months to their Local Enterprise Office

What are ineligible projects for this scheme?

1. Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, trade associations and company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce are not eligible to participate in the scheme;
2. “Not for profit” and social entrepreneurship applicants unless they operate in a commercial domain;
3. Professional services specialising in IT type services who are already capable of trading online using existing in-house systems;
4. Conferences and Seminars;
5. Projects which are contrary to public policy;
6. Duplication of support for projects which would be eligible for assistance from other State Agencies of EU funded Operational Programmes;
7. Projects with employees in excess of 10 people;
8. Projects deemed to be capable of proceeding in any event without scheme assistance i.e. deadweight;
9. Projects essentially comprising importation and distribution

What can the vouchers be used for?

• IT consultation;
  • Development or upgrade of an e-commerce website;
  • Implementing Online payments or booking systems;
  • Purchase of Internet related software;
  • Developing an app (or multiplatform webpages);
  • Development of a digital marketing strategy;
  • Implementing a digital marketing strategy;
  • Training/skills development specifically to establish and manage an online trading activity.
  • Subscriptions (excluding transaction costs) to low cost online retail platform solutions, which would allow applicants to quickly establish a retailing presence online.
  • Purchase of online advertising (this purchase cannot make up any more than 30% of all other approved Voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase);
  • Purchase of Professional Photography (this expenditure cannot make up any more than 80% of all other approved voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase)

What are the things the vouchers cannot be used for?

• Development of brochure websites*;
  • Purchase of non-internet related software;
  • anything other than e-commerce trading related activity.* A brochure website is digital version of a printed brochure. They show the products or services your company provides, however, unlike an e-commerce website, they do not sell the product or service online or have an interactive booking function. With a brochure website, the goods and services are only displayed, so customers will have to contact the company to place an order.

What else do I need to know about vouchers?

• Voucher approval must be gained prior to incurring any expense;
  • Third party costs only will be considered. Own labour is not an eligible expense (labour of spouse or children also considered own labour);
  • Claims can be made in either one or two instalments, and only made in respect of actual work completed (i.e. in respect of the components of the project works completed at the time the claim is being made). Expenditure on the various project components can only be claimed once.
  • All third party/supplier invoices must contain proper business details (e.g. tax or business registration details or proof that the supplier is a registered business in the territory in which the supplier is located).
  • Applications must be accompanied by written/ emailed quotes for project works from three suppliers.

What is the voucher application and drawdown process?

Application Process:

• Read the terms & conditions;
  • If satisfied you are eligible and wish to apply register to participate in an information event;
  • Participate in information session;
  • You will then be provided with a link to our online application systemEvaluation
  • Evaluation of applications will be conducted by each LEO who will make recommendations for approval;
  • An evaluation committee will assess the applications and make recommendations for approval;
  • A competitive process will be put in place to assist with selection process. Selection of successful applicant will be based on the following criteria:
  • Project Suitability;
  • Value Added potential;
  • Export potential;
  • Job creation potential;
  • How will the project aid the business during the COVID-19 Pandemic;
  • Financial sustainability.
  • Record decisions and report to the Local
  Enterprise Office approvals committee;
  • As part of the application process applicants will be required to participate in an information session on how to use and get the best value for money from the voucher